I found myself in Poblacion, Talisay City, a few days after Typhoon Tino made its unwelcome visit. The skies had cleared, so I decided to roam around and take some photos. I heard the city suffered significant damage, so I decided to swing by the WWII Landing Historical Marker and the public beach near the Talisay Litson Food Park.
The marker (and the park where it stands) stood firm, a little weathered but all good. There were a few cracks here and there, but nothing too serious overall.
The public beach, however, was an entirely different story. I’ve seen debris before, but this was something else.
In this photo, locals are seen scouring the beach for valuables to reuse. I saw some of them logging around a shoe, a helmet, and even a full traveling bag.
Just a few steps away, the Talisay City Litson Food Park had sustained minor damage. Still, most of the stalls remained closed, which is understandable.
Only one store was open when I arrived, in fact. And it was only selling barbecue pork and chicken. Interestingly, a few customers were also enjoying their meal.
I really couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw this scene. It looked like the entire ocean had decided to empty its pockets right onto ‘Larawan Beach’ right behind the food park. It’s definitely something I had never ever seen before!
Plastic bottles, driftwood, old slippers and shoes, umbrellas, and even entire massive trees littered the beach. I kid you not. It was surreal and truly heartbreaking.
Even if I wanted to help with the debris, I couldn’t even imagine where or how to begin.
And take a look at all the footwear on the beach. It’s scary to think that just hours prior, these were in someone’s home somewhere.
I’d like to point out that while I didn’t see widespread clean-up efforts yet when I was there, it’s great to see that some homeowners in the area were already cleaning their homes and surroundings.
That’s the thing about Cebuano resilience. It’s quiet and steady. And no matter how many times something like this happens, we continue to stand up and move forward.
If you’re in the area, please drop by. Bring a trash bag, maybe. Say hello to the locals. Support the local businesses. And remember that, despite looking ‘horrible’ now, because of Typhoon Tino, this was, at some point, a ‘happy place’ for all of us.
